


Home (is the Blue of His Ocean Eyes)

by 28crosses



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Famous Harry, Fluff, Home, Louis is Harry's home, M/M, Non-Famous Louis, Smut, Sweet Creature, a whole lot of soft, louis calls harry popstar, soft, they fall in love anyways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-04 04:08:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14584614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/28crosses/pseuds/28crosses
Summary: Harry didn't know he was looking for a home until he found his.





	Home (is the Blue of His Ocean Eyes)

In September of 2011, Harry Styles released his first song. It topped every chart after he won the United Kingdom’s X Factor in December of 2010 as the youngest Artist ever to do so. Only two months later, he released his first album and called it “Up All Night”. It was unprecedented, the amount of success he had already had with one album. So in May, while touring for his first album, he began on his second, releasing that album almost exactly a year later in November of 2012. It became a habit of his after that, to release an album in November and for five years straight that’s exactly what he did for the millions of people supporting him around the world. He worked until he couldn’t do or think about anything else.

So, from November to mid-February of 2016, he decided to take a break. He spent the most time he’s spent at home since he was sixteen years old and catapulted into the life he was now so lucky to be living. It was so incredible to be home with his Mum, to reconnect with her, his sister, and his step-father. He soaked it up. He loved the attention from his Mum, loved helping her around the house and doing chores for her when she wasn’t around. He loved more than anything to be home for the holidays and his birthday. He knows, after that much too short two and a half months, he absolutely made the right decision. 

Right after his birthday, he told his Mum about the little home he had remodeled in North Carolina. She wondered why he chose there, but as soon as he showed her the little town of Beaufort, she understood why it was the place to take him away from her. It was everything he’d ever wanted, a home with a view, a beach, and no one around to bother him. She told him explicitly how proud of him she was and how she couldn’t wait to come and visit.

He left a few days after that, flying to that little home and easily settling in. His awards were all scattered all around, hanging, in view, he was very proud of what he’d done. There were two rooms with a Jack and Jill bath in the center, a toilet and sink with his washing machines and laundry basket, the kitchen, a living area that was completely open with windows scattering the whole of the room. In the corner, on the other side of the rooms, there was a swirly staircase that led up to a balcony with a loveseat, also able to look down into the living room and outside, and a bookshelf beside it with hundreds of notebooks Harry had written in over the years. And right on the other side of that was his master bedroom that had a King size bed looking right out onto a balcony, also open to the outside with two rocking chairs he’d eventually use to read in the morning if he didn’t decide to go downstairs to the deck, where he’d probably spend most mornings drinking coffee. Behind that is his favorite part, the master bathroom, which is centered with a large tub and like everything else, a shower completely open with the perfect sprays he’d fallen in love with at hotels all across the world. He’d had it custom made just for him and he hadn’t been disappointed, looking at it now. It was based off of the dark blue of the sea when it was stirred from a storm, Harry’s favorite color.

For a couple of weeks, he doesn’t do much of anything other than go to the grocery store. It feels nice to just sit, write, read, watch American telly, and sleep. The first time he leaves his home with the intent to do anything other than go to get some groceries is the fourth of March. He walks into the bar he’d been hearing about right on the pier called Payno’s. He knows people notice him, but luckily, nobody crowds him. When he sits at the bar, it’s very clear the woman behind it recognizes him, but she just grabs him a beer with a dark blush on her cheeks.

He sits and watches the small crowd of people, knowing he’s there pretty early for any real dancing of any kind. They look like good people, eating dinner and smiling. So he decides to get a burger and is about halfway through eating it when someone sits beside him.

“Tea, get me a beer and a burger, yeah?”

“Anything for you, baby,” the girl who had served him earlier says with a grin before eyeing Harry again and going into the kitchen.

The man next to him turns his eyes to meet Harry’s, smiles, turns back, and then does a double take. Harry being the absolute idiot he is, smiles back and reaches for his drink without looking, managing to knock it over and have his cheeks turn as dark red as the girls did earlier, “Oops?”

The man next to him laughs, “Hi.”

“Hi,” he says back as Teagan comes over to place a beer in front of Louis. She sees the mess immediately and Harry apologizes profusely, but she just keeps smiling and telling him it’s fine, we all make mistakes, and she’ll just go grab him a new one.

“Lucky day, yeah?”

Harry hears the deep accent then, realizing the boy is a Brit too. That makes him smile more as he says, “Turns out I’m just a klutz in front of beautiful people.”

“That Teagan is one beautiful girl,” Louis says with a grin. Harry can see his eyes twinkling though, which means he knew Harry was talking about him.

Teagan places another beer in front of him and he says, “Thanks, love.”

“It’s my job,” she mumbles, a blush lighting her cheeks again. He smiles at that, turning back to the beautiful man seated next to him.

“Think I could get your name?”

“Names Louis.”

“I’m Harry,” he says, but he can tell from the glint in Louis’ eyes at the mention of his name, he already knows that. He’s thankful he doesn’t act like he does.

“What brings you here?”

“Have a place not too far away on the beach,” Harry says, tipping his beer to his lips and taking a long drag. “Was looking for a good place for a drink, this is number one.”

“Liam will be happy to hear he brought in a star,” Louis chirps, taking a drink of his own beer.

“Know who I am then.”

“Don’t think there’s a person in the world who wouldn’t know you, yeah?”

“Guess not.”

“You’ve been missing for weeks,” he says, taking another sip. “My sisters were getting all worried. I’ll have to let them know you’re doing well.”

Harry laughs at that, pulling his hair back into a bun. “How old are they?”

“Oldest is seventeen, youngest is two.”

“Two?”

“I know, I know,” Louis says with a smile, “Could be the second set of twins Father, but I’m their brother. Mum will never have a life of her own, really. She’ll always be taking care of kids at her rate. But she loves it. Don’t blame her, honestly, I work with kids now and I love every second I spend with them.”

“So you’re a teacher then?”

“Not as impressive as traveling the world, I know,” Louis says with an easy smile, his body officially turned towards Harry, “But I have some rather interesting stories to come home with most days.”

“Have someone to go home to, then?”

Louis chuckles at the obvious disappointment Harry didn’t even try to hide before saying, “Live on one half of a town house, my mate Niall lives on the other side. We usually end up in his dining room talking about our days is what I mean.”

“Mate?”

“Free as a bird, love,” Louis says with a grin. “Didn’t know you swung this way.”

“Swing whatever way the wind takes me,” Harry says as two burgers are placed in front of them. His last one had been ruined and although he didn’t ask, the sweet waitress had brought out a new one anyways.

“Saw you two were chatting,” Teagan explains, “Figured I’d just bring them out together.”

“Thanks love,” Louis says before Harry is able to.

They sit and eat, get a couple more beers in them, and talk about the area. Small talk really, but just on the edge of being more. Harry explains to him why he’d been missing for a while, wanting the ability to just take a break. He likes the way Louis pays attention to him, wanting to know more rather than dismissing him and wanting to talk about his music or what he would do next. His eyes don’t leave his face for much other than if one of the tenders talks to him. Everyone seems to know him here.

Harry had just finished telling him about when he played Never Have I Ever with Ellen when he’s interrupted by a microphone and another British voice. “God, do the Brits just congregate here?”

Louis laughs and shushes him as the man starts talking, “Thanks for coming out. Every Friday he plays and every Friday we love him more. Please give some love for my friend, Niall Horan.”

“Thanks, Payno,” a very heavy Irish-accented man says with a grin, “Always love being introduced by you, but one of these days I want Tommo out here a bit drunk and telling the world how beautiful I am.”

Louis holds up his drink at that and yells, “Hear, hear!”

The laughter into the microphone allows Harry to put two and two together and understand that Louis is “Tommo” and Niall is probably the guy who lives on the other side of the town house. Niall continues with, “Got a couple new songs today that I want to try out. Listen up, yeah?”

He starts strumming at his guitar and then, “When you feel your love’s been taken, when you know there’s something missing, in the dark, we’re barely hanging on. Then you rest your head upon my chest, and you feel like there ain’t nothing left, I’m afraid that what we had is gone…”

The song continues, but Harry can only ask, “Who is he?”

Louis leans back into Harry without looking away, and the feeling of him against his chest makes Harry’s heart pick up a bit, “My best mate, the most talented guy I know. I’m thinking he’ll probably beat you out one day.”

“Agreed,” Harry says, only a little over a whisper. He doesn’t think he could’ve conjured up more with Louis so close.

Louis seems to feel it too as he shivers at the feeling of Harry’s lips so close to his ear. He sits up only to move his bench back, and then he’s right in front of Harry, and all Harry really would’ve had to do to be as close to Louis as he wanted, was wrap his arms around him. Louis was already only a few inches from leaning into his chest.

Niall sings four songs, all songs Harry had never heard before today, and then Louis is turning to look at him again. He picks up what will be his fourth beer, “To Niall?”

“Niall,” Harry agrees, tapping his own drink to Louis’ and then tipping it back. “He from Ireland?”

“You catch on quick, popstar,” Louis says with a laugh, a happy, belly laugh that makes Harry’s heart melt. Even the endearing pet name popstar makes him smile. Louis makes him smile. “Niall’s from Ireland, yeah, we met when he came here to make it big. Still don’t know how he ended up in North Carolina, but the music on the streets is bloody fantastic. Liam, Payno, we went to college together. He was a part of the exchange program and since I’d been here for a while, and I was also a Brit, we got partnered for a lot of things. We’ve all kind of just gravitated together. Liam, though, he’s with Teagan, the pretty waitress who’s been providing you with drinks all night. They live together above this. Lovely couple, really.”

“Sounds like a good little group,” Harry comments, taking another drink.

“The best,” Louis agrees before he’s being wrapped up in the arms of a blonde guy who Harry recognizes afterword’s as Niall.

“Good, Lou, yeah?”

“Great, Nialler,” Louis says, leaning his head into his friend. Harry feels an immediate tightening of his chest even though Louis had already said Niall was only his mate and Louis was most definitely not even close to being his.

“Fuck,” Niall says when he sees who Louis had been talking about, “You’re Harry Styles.”

“Guilty,” Harry says, taking a long drag of his beer, realizing for the first time that he was kind of drunk and that was probably why the immediate jealousy had wracked through him.

“Fuck, Louis,” Niall says, “How’d this happen?”

“Walked in and sat next to him without realizing it was him,” Louis says with a smile, turning around and placing a hand on Harry’s knee. The subtle touch makes Harry’s heart start to pick up again, “He’s pretty great, yeah?”

“What’re you doing here?”

“Have a home here, taking a break from the world a bit,” Harry explains, a lot happier knowing that Louis wasn’t just going to ignore him because his friend was here now. He was now gently moving his thumb back and forth on Harry’s leg.

“Pretty great here,” Niall agrees.

“Liking it a lot,” Harry says, looking at Louis who is already looking at him. He can feel his cheeks heating up since he was caught and looks back at Niall who is grinning too. “You’re fucking incredible. Never heard those songs before.”

“Wrote them myself.” Harry’s surprise must’ve been clear on his face because Niall continues with, “Been writing for years, been singing as long as I could talk.”

“Why’ve I never heard of you?”

Niall bursts out in a laugh then, and Louis chuckles beside him, “Niall doesn’t want to put in the effort it takes to get noticed, so he sings here hoping someone will come in and find him. Works part time at the music shop down the pier a bit because Liam pays him generously.”

“Mates look out for mates, yeah?” Niall asks when he catches his breath. Harry smiles when Louis rolls his eyes fondly. “If you know anyone, send them my way.”

Harry grins, thinking about doing just that.

“Think I’m going to see if this popstar can dance,” Louis suddenly says, “You catch up to us and we’ll see you out there, yeah?”

Niall grins at that and says, “Been waiting to get a beer in me since I got here.”

So Louis stands up, grabbing for Harry’s hand. When Harry is finally standing up next to him he realizes just how tiny Louis is. He didn’t really think he’d had any kinks before seeing Louis almost a head shorter than him, but he knew then that his kink was Louis being shorter than him. He knew that, even though he’d only met him just hours ago, he was absolutely ruined for him. He knew that whatever break he took, however long it was, it would be wooing and hopefully making Louis his.

“You a good dancer, popstar?” Louis asks, leading him out to the floor while Harry has his realization.

“I’m whatever you want me to be.”

Louis’ laughter shakes through him until Harry has Louis pressed against his chest the way he’d wanted him to be all night, and he hears, “Thinking you’re a bit crazy, Harry.” Harry doesn’t respond, just gets used to Louis moving in front of him, matching his hips easily. They pick up a rhythm, moving in sync easily. Louis’ left arm goes up behind Harry’s neck and his fingers play with the hairs on Harry’s neck while Harry’s hands dig into Louis’ hip bones, his lips pressing kisses into Louis’ neck.

It’s no more than that for a few songs, just them moving together. After they’re used to that, Harry loosens his grip to turn Louis around in his arms and pull him up onto his boots. Front to front, Harry can see Louis’ eyes. He doesn’t make a move to get off of Harry’s feet, just green and blue, focusing on nothing but each other. Louis’ eyes are darker now, closer to Harry’s favorite shade of blue, the blue of an ocean disrupted by a storm. It captivates him, takes him away from everything around him until everything in his body is yelling LouisLouisLouis. He doesn’t even notice when Niall joins them with a pretty girl he doesn’t recognize. Louis doesn’t seem to really notice either, just as caught up in whatever was going on as Harry was.

It’s almost an hour before Louis breathlessly asks, “Home?”

“I have a driver,” Harry explains and Louis nods at that.

“Yours.”

So Harry allows Louis to step off his feet before he’s pulling him in front of him and walking them towards the side door. Once outside, he knocks on the door to get Paul’s attention, and then opens the now unlocked door for Louis to get in the back. He sits next to him, connecting their hands in the middle, feeling the rising tension in the air. He rubs circles into Louis’ thumb, watching him take in the night sights of the pier. There are lights on everywhere even on such a cold night and it’s the first time Harry notices how incredibly good Louis looks. He hadn’t looked away from his very distracting face to notice that the rest of him was just as stunning. He’s wearing a large cream colored sweater, too big for him, with the sleeves rolled up a bit to show so many tattoos just around his wrists. Harry really can’t believe he hadn’t noticed them earlier with the number of tattoos he had on him. He was wearing a tight pair of black jeans, which extenuated his thick thighs, and was wearing no socks with a pair of dark vans. Harry basically lost the ability to breathe at the sight of him. 

“I can feel you staring,” Louis says, only making Harry’s breath catch.

“Can’t get over the sight of you.”

Louis turns to look at him then, his eyes soft, not full of humor nor confidence, just soft. That alone allowed Harry to calm down. Louis was in the same place he was then. Nervous. Nervous and unsure why this felt so right. So Harry gave him a smile, intertwining their fingers instead of rubbing circles into Louis’ thumb. That seemed to help Louis calm down as well, and he went back to looking out the window.

The tension was no longer as evident when Paul turned into his driveway. He knocked on the separator and said a thank you before opening his door and going around the car to open Louis’. He walks him up to the front door, unlocking it and opening that for him as well.

When they get inside, Harry hangs up his keys and his coat and allows Louis to look around as he gets a couple of glasses and pours them some water. He was still quite tipsy, and there is a beautiful boy in his home, and he doesn’t want to push the boy too far. Once the glasses are full, he follows Louis out to the living area where he was standing in the middle of the room looking at the view that Harry had fallen in love with almost a year ago.

“Water,” he says softly, handing Louis one of the glasses.

“This is stunning. I’ve never been to this side of Beaufort. Niall and I live in the middle of town and this is, wow. I don’t take advantage of this place.”

“How long have you been here?” Harry asks, offering Louis a seat on his couch. He happily sits.

“We moved from London to Georgia when I was sixteen. Finished high school there, went to New York for school, met Liam. Teagan lived here and I always stayed with her on my long trips home. Fell in love. So when Liam and I graduated we moved here and I got a job as a first grade teacher. It all just kind of fell into place, really. Been here for a little less than a year now.”

“And Liam is Payno, who owns the bar?”

Louis nods, taking a sip of the water, “Yeah, he was business, Teagan was accounting. She does the bills and works the bar and he manages and gets sponsors and such. They’re a great team.”

“And Niall, you said he sings the pier?”

“Yeah, him and Teagan were close because he moved here with his family from Ireland his Senior year and she was assigned to showing him around. You said earlier that we all kind of are here, UK invasion I guess. Didn’t even think of it really.”

“It’s cool, to find someone who knows where you come from,” Harry says simply, getting another smile from Louis. “Got lucky, I suppose, going into Payno’s.”

“We Europeans sure know how to drink,” Louis says, a laugh running through his body. He places his empty glass on the table.

“Want another?”

“Would be lovely,” Louis says. So Harry finishes his off and then gets up to go back to the kitchen, pouring them both another glass. When he sits back down, Louis was already looking at him curiously. “What’s your story popstar?”

“Already told you—” Harry starts, ready to go back into his need for a break.

“Don’t want to hear about that,” Louis cuts him off, his eyes watching Harry’s to make sure he hadn’t offended him. When he’s sure he hasn’t, he continues, “Want to know what got you where you are. I’m guessing this whole break thing isn’t forever, yeah?”

Harry smiles, lifting the glass to his lips and drinking a bit. “Guess I wanted to do something spectacular, even at sixteen. Always been kind of a dreamer. I was pretty popular around school—hoping that doesn’t make me sound too big headed.”

“It does, but continue.”

Harry grins, “Everyone liked my voice, everyone around school was very supportive of my want to go on the X Factor, and my Mum always made sure I shot for my dreams no matter how farfetched they might have seemed at the time. I got lucky, really, with all of the support. It’s how I won.”

“And after you won?”

“Just, went into it. Embraced it. Clutched onto my dream and made sure I didn’t leave one unchecked. I threw myself into my work and around August of last year I just got so overwhelmed with putting out a new album every year that I just, I needed the break. I needed to rest my body, my mind, and be taken care of. I left at sixteen and never really had the chance to just enjoy. Being in front of the cameras all the time really, it just, it took me away from the things that mattered.”

“What mattered?”

Harry really liked the way Louis listened, he loved the way his eyes were fixed on Harry. “Family.”

Louis takes the final sip of his water and places it on the table, looking back at Harry who just finished off his water as well. He felt pretty sobered up, talking about all of this. Nobody had really ever asked him about this. It felt like he was admitting it to himself. He leans onto the arm of the couch and asks, “Family is?”

“My Mum mostly, my sister.” Harry smiles at the thought of them, thinking of the lock screen on his phone. It was a picture of the three of them from Christmas that Robin had taken. “My stepdad Robin is also pretty great. For three months I just, as silly as this sounds, I helped out at the bakery I used to work at with a bunch of sweet old ladies, and I took care of my Mum a bit.”

“Doesn’t sound silly,” Louis says.

“They loved the help and every penny they paid me I gave back in gifts. I didn’t need it, but they wouldn’t let me work without paying. My Mum loved having me to clean, Robin loved having a guy in the house, and my sister visited more than she had since she moved out. Was really great to be home, and I knew my Mum needed me to just be home.”

“So what brought you here?”

“This view,” he answers, turning his eyes from Louis’ to the ocean. “I fell in love with America when I came here for the first time in 2011. I had a weekend off and ended up on that pier at sixteen, and this view was just magical. Every time I came back to America I found myself loving it here even more, and then I found this place. It was so hidden from the rest of the area, it has a view to die for, and this place just screamed family to me. I’ve been looking for a place to settle that I could just call home, that I could one day make a home in. It was a mess when I found it, but for the last year I’ve had people working on it for me. It’s better than I ever imagined it could be.”

“You’re something else, Harry Styles.”

“Yeah?”

Louis nods, standing up and putting his knees on either side of Harry, straddling his lap. Harry smiles at the sudden change in position, putting his hands on Louis’ hips. “Want to kiss you.”

“Then kiss me,” Harry says back.

Louis’ thumbs press into his cheeks before he leans in and gently presses his lips to Harry’s. The first touch is electric, and Harry wants more before it’s any more than a peck. So when Louis presses a little harder into Harry, tilting his head a bit, Harry takes that as an invitation to nip at Louis’ bottom lip. It’s closed mouth with a nip here and there until Louis sighs, his hands going to Harry’s hair, pulling the hair tie out and running his hands through the messy curls. All Harry can think about is how tiny Louis is and then he’s pressing his tongue into Louis’ mouth and Louis is exploring Harry’s, tilting his head even more for more access. He can feel himself getting hard in his pants, but he doesn’t do a thing about it, because Louis is going to be much more than a one-night thing. He was going to make sure Louis knew that.

So when Louis pulls away with a couple pecks to his lips, he doesn’t complain. He only smiles.

“I’m a bit tired, popstar.”

“I can have Paul drive you home, or you could stay in my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch for tonight.”

Louis looks surprised at the offer and says, “We’re in our twenties, popstar, don’t need to sleep in different spots after snogging for a bit.”

“Let me show you to my room them, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

So Harry leads him up the stairs after bringing the glasses to the sink. Louis seems just as in awe of the place as Harry was when he first saw it. He offers Louis a shirt and shows him the bathroom before taking off his own clothes and pulling on a new pair of boxers and a shirt, not knowing if Louis would be comfortable without him having one on.  
When Louis comes back in, Harry is already on his bed with one of his notebooks. He’s writing down a couple of things that popped into his head, things like 'sweet creature' and 'he’s all I think about'. When he looks up, Louis is drowning in his shirt and he’s so positively wrecked for this man that he can barely hold onto the sigh that leaves his lips.  
Louis climbs into the bed, pulling the covers around him and looking at Harry. “Writing about me already, popstar?”

“Don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop, Louis.”

Louis hums at that, “Why don’t you put that away and cuddle me a bit, yeah?”

It doesn’t take Harry long to put his notebook back on his side table before wrapping Louis up in his arms and kissing his forehead. Louis lets out a breath, his hand slipping under Harry’s shirt and making the skin under his touch warmer than it was just a moment ago. It’s much too early to be thinking about how he wishes every night could be spent with Louis curled up into him like this. He hears Louis’ breathing change, knowing he’s asleep, and he falls asleep to thoughts of the moon dancing over Louis’ face, knowing it’s probably all he’ll ever need anymore.

-

He wakes up around noon to an empty bed. He wonders if it was all a dream before noticing a figure on the balcony of his bedroom. He smiles, happy that it wasn’t a dream and that Louis hadn’t left before getting out of the bed and going to his bathroom for a piss. He pulls his mop of hair back before pulling on a pair of sweats and going out to join Louis.

“Been awake long?” he asks, wrapping his arms around Louis.

He’s happy to have Louis lean into him, placing his hands over Harry’s. He also notices he had a pair of sweats on with the shirt he wore last night. “About an hour, hope you don’t mind I snooped to find these sweats and got some chips from downstairs.”

“Don’t mind at all,” Harry says, looking at the view that Louis was currently focused on.

“Looked so peaceful sleeping, didn’t want to wake you.”

“I wouldn’t have minded.”

Louis turns in his arms so that Harry’s hands are back on his hips and Louis’ are on Harry’s chest. He smiles before going up on his toes, and Harry happily presses their lips together for a quick and soft kiss, happy that he’s allowed to do this. “Have any plans to make me breakfast, popstar? Or should I take you out to my favorite diner?”

“How does eggs, toast, and bacon sound?”

“Sounds like I might just keep you around,” Louis says with a grin, “Have a tooth brush and a shower I could use while you cook to woo me?”

Harry’s heart skipped at the idea of Louis keeping him around, but he takes Louis to his bathroom, grabbing an extra tooth brush and a towel. “Feel free to use the tub or the shower, both are like magic.”

“Will keep that in mind,” Louis says, “I’ll be down before breakfast is done.”

Harry takes one last look as Louis begins to look around, and then heads downstairs to make breakfast. When Louis comes downstairs they sit in that comfortable silence Harry usually only gets with his family. Afterwards, they move outside with a cup of tea and a cup of coffee, and Louis seems just as content as Harry is to just sit and enjoy the view.

Around two, though, Louis says, “Think I should head home, popstar.”

Harry knew he would have to say goodbye eventually, but he didn’t really want to. So he just pouts instead and looks at Louis, “I could promise you dinner too and you could stay.”

“Niall and I have to drive out to his parents’ house to help them paint their dining room,” Louis says with a smile, “He texted to remind me and I promised otherwise I’d absolutely take you up on that.”

“When can I see you again?”

Louis chuckles and says, “You’re not one to hide behind the whole ‘wait three days’ theory?”

Harry shrugs, “I’m not in the habit of denying myself the pleasures of life.”

“I’m a pleasure now?”

“Think you’ll always be,” Harry says, not even caring how cliché, how silly, or how absolutely whipped he already sounds. “When can I see you again?”

“How about tomorrow evening? I’ll get everything that needs to be done before six and be here by seven, yeah?”

Harry wishes it wouldn’t be so long but he agrees, holding his hand out, “Phone?”

Louis shakes his head and puts his phone in Harry’s hand. Harry puts his number in and texts himself before taking his own phone out to save the number. Once that’s done he presses a kiss to Louis’ hair and says, “Give me a minute and I’ll drive you back to Payno’s for your car.”

-

The next night, Harry already had steak on the grill and mashed potatoes on the stove, muffins in the oven and corn in the microwave. He didn’t know what kind of veggies Louis might like, so he put some celery and carrots out along with grapes. When there’s a knock at the door, he quickly goes to open it.

“Smells incredible, popstar,” Louis greets him, going on his toes to press a kiss to Harry’s cheek. “Here’s some wine.”

“Come in,” Harry offers, “Have a steak on, dinners almost ready.”

“Steak?”

“Told me to woo you, yeah?”

Louis just chuckles and shakes his head, Harry knows now it’s an expression of fond. “Where are the glasses?”

“Corner cupboard,” Harry says, taking the potatoes off of the oven. He looks them over before grabbing the plate for the steak and going out to check them. They’re perfectly pink so Harry pulls them off and brings them to the table. He then passes Louis, who is sat at the island and sipping at the wine. He doesn’t interrupt him as he mashes the potatoes, lets him pull out the muffins and put them into a basket, and hums contently when Harry salts, peppers, and milks the potatoes to be perfectly mashed.

When everything is on the table, Louis brings the glasses over to the table and lets out a, “You’ve certainly proved you can cook, love.”

“Wait until you taste it,” Harry counters.

Louis munches into everything, but when he takes his first scoop of potatoes, he lets out a tiny groan that Harry appreciates much more than he probably should. “Fuck, Harry, what’s in these?”

“Family recipe,” Harry answers, grinning at the reaction.

“They’re fucking marvelous.”

“Stick around and maybe I’ll teach you, yeah?”

Louis just shakes his head, his eyes sparkling. They eat, they drink, they move to the couch and drink a bit more. They talk a little more about family, Harry telling Louis about Gemma. She’d been his best friend for most of his life. Louis talks about his sisters, mostly Lottie and how proud of her he was. She would be eighteen in August and was planning to go back to England for schooling come August. She was only nine when they left and she wanted to actually see the country, meet family they’ve only seen a few times since they left, and understand where she came from. Fizzy was a typical teenage girl, turning sixteen in August and not very happy with the rules that come with growing up. The twins, Daisy and Phoebe were his twelve-year-old princesses. And Doris and Ernest were two and causing his Mum absolute terror, in a good way, he explained. They liked to keep their older sisters up and were always ready to play. His stepfather tended to keep the family intact while he was away, but he missed them terribly. He liked to hear about Louis’ family and loved the pictures even more.

“You see that people want to know who the mystery man you were dancing with on Friday was?”

“Hmm?” Harry hums, Louis tucked into his side while a Friends rerun plays.

“On twitter and stuff,” Louis explains, playing with Harry’s shirt, “Want to know who the boy you were dancing with Friday was.”

“Haven’t looked really,” Harry says, realizing that Louis isn’t used to this like he is. “Don’t get on social media much anymore, and try not to pay attention to it honestly.”

“So you’re just going to let it flutter around?”

“Best I can do,” Harry says softly, “I should’ve warned you.”

Louis shrugs, but Harry can see the glimmer of sadness in his eyes. “Think it will go away?”

“It doesn’t usually,” Harry says sadly, pulling Louis’ legs over his lap. “Don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Louis. This isn’t a life for everyone.”

“No, no,” Louis says quickly, pressing a kiss to Harry’s knuckle with their interlocked fingers, “No, that’s not what I mean. I just don’t want to be all over the papers since I’m teaching little kids, you know? Don’t want parents seeing me all over, you know? Wouldn’t look good for the school.”

“Yeah,” Harry says, feeling his heart flutter at Louis’ words. He wants this. Of course he does, but it’s nice to hear. “Yeah, I’ll call my management and let them know everything. They’ll keep you out of the papers to the best of their ability. I promise.”

Louis smiles and presses his lips to Harry’s, and Harry doesn’t remember what Friends episode was playing because Louis was addicting and his kisses were better than any wine. That night, when Louis whisks away with a promise of seeing him soon, Harry writes 'two hearts in one home' in his notebook before falling asleep to dreams of a beautiful man with eyes as blue as the sea.

-

It’s May and he’s known Louis for two months. Two months that he’s felt more alive than the entirety of his career. Two months of LouisLouisLouis being his main thought. He knew it was mutual, he knew they were each other’s even though neither of them said it. They’d done a lot more than kissing and it was better than anything Harry had ever had with anyone else. He wanted Louis, in every way. He wanted to listen to him talk about his students, his sisters, his Mum and Dan. He wanted to be the first to know things, the first person Louis called. He wanted Louis. Just Louis.

When he called his Mum on Sunday, he finally told her about Louis. She was beyond excited to finally hear a name and even happier when Harry told her how happy he was. She wished him well and promised a visit in the summer. That Friday, he got his hair cut off. He wanted something new because he was writing again. Whatever block he had was gone, and the block included no longer wanted his long, curly hair. He found a place with a pretty man named Zayn who helped Harry figure out how to send it off to the “Little Princess Trust” that he had searched up because Louis mentioned his sisters being Princesses and he wanted his hair to be a wig for a little girl with cancer.

When he walked into Payno’s that night and sat in his normal spot, Teagan greeted him much differently that she had two months ago. A smile and a, “The normal, babe?”

“You know me too well,” he responded. She just squeezed his hand.

“Love the cut.”

“Thanks, love,” he says, watching her go to grab his beer and put in his and Louis’ orders.

“Fuck,” he hears before he sees Louis. “What the hell did you do to my locks?”

“Hi, baby.”

“Wipe that grin off your face, popstar, and tell me where my locks went.”

“Shh,” Harry says instead, pulling him in for a kiss. Louis kisses back for only a moment before pushing away and giving Harry a look. So Harry sighs, “Wanted a change. Do you like it?”

“Can’t call you curly anymore.”

Harry chuckles at Louis’ pout and says, “You called me curly once.”

“Can’t do it again.”

“I still have curly hair, Lou.”

“Not the good kind,” he pouts, grabbing the beer Teagan puts in front of him. “But I love it, makes you look like a man.”

“I didn’t before?”

“You did,” Louis says, his eyes darkening a bit when he continues with, “You were my princess, now you’re just, mine.”

Harry really would never get over the way Louis’ eyes looked when he was turned on. They turned Harry’s favorite shade of blue, dark, full of passion and unresolved tension. They were barely into the night and he already looked like this so Harry changed the topic, “Jeff is coming by tonight to hear Niall.”

Louis about chokes on his beer before looking at Harry. “What?!”

“Jeff, showed him a recording of Niall, he loved him. He’s coming by tonight.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No, he’s coming to listen—” Louis cuts him off by pressing his lips to Harry’s. It’s awkward, at this angle, so Harry stands up, Louis’ legs opening to let Harry get closer. And the kiss gets much too hot much too fast, and Harry doesn’t really know what’s up with Louis tonight but, God, he’s not going to make it out alive probably.

“You two are extra lovey tonight,” Teagan comments, putting their burgers in front of them.

“Harry is my favorite person in the entire world,” Louis says easily.

She rolls her eyes, “As if I didn’t already know that.”

“Niall’s about to get a fucking deal and Harry’s going to get fucking laid tonight.”

“To Harry getting laid,” Harry says quickly, holding his beer up. Teagan just shakes her head and Louis lifts his glass to tap Harry’s. They both drink, they both eat, and they both can’t wait until they can congratulate Niall and leave.

They wait until after Niall’s show, Harry introduces Louis and Niall to Jeff at the same time, and Jeff gives Niall the news immediately. It takes an hour of shot after shot before Louis and Harry are stumbling into the back of Paul’s car and being driven to Harry’s. The messily snog in the back of the car, Louis in Harry’s lap and Harry an absolute mess because he can’t get close enough to Louis.

The fall into the house, really, Harry managing to get his keys onto the counter before he’s lifting Louis and carrying him up to his bedroom, stumbling and giggling like teenagers. It’s not until Louis is naked underneath him that he realizes he finally gets to fuck Louis. And the realization causes him to sober up a bit because Louis, this is Louis. LouisLouisLouis.

He’s softer then, kissing Louis’ lips before pressing kisses down his neck, to each letter of ‘it is what it is’, and down his chest. Louis groans above him when his lips wrap around his cock, his hand wrapping around what he can’t reach with his mouth. He hums around him, picking up a rhythm and enjoying each sound he hears come from Louis’ lips because of him. Harry’s always loved having his lips wrapped around another man’s cock. He loves watching them fall apart because of just his mouth. Watching Louis fall apart though, that’s something he knows he’ll love to explore for the rest of his life. When he pulls off of him, Louis whimpers but halts it with a groan when he hears Harry open up the lube he had leaned over to grab.

He generously wets his fingers before crawling up Louis’ body to be right next to his ear, “You ready, baby?”

Louis groans as Harry’s cold finger starts sliding near his hole, “Been waiting for this for too long, Harry, want you.”

“What do you want, hmm?”

Louis pushes into Harry’s finger that’s teasing his hole and says, “Want you to open me up, have me wining, want you inside me, Harry. Want to feel you, yeah? Feel like I’ve been waiting forever to have this with you.”

“Yeah, baby, want that to,” Harry says, pushing his finger to his knuckle, letting Louis adjust before he pushes back in. He starts slow, until Louis is groaning and pushing into him, and then he presses another in, and another when Louis’ ready. Louis is moaning filthily by the end and when Harry pulls his fingers out, Louis’ gasps from the loss. “Shh, baby, going to put the condom on, then I’ll fill you up, yeah?”

“Harry,” Louis moans out, and Harry loves this, loves that he’s the only one who gets to see Louis like this. He loves that he is the only person Louis let’s take care of him. Harry is the only one Louis acts small with because Louis is just so fond of Harry, fond of him in ways he’s never been fond of anyone else before.

When Harry is pressed against Louis’ rim, he leans down to connect their lips. It’s not a kiss so much as a mutual moan. Louis’ lips make an ‘o’ as Harry pushes into him excruciatingly slow, “Fuck, you’re so tight, Louis. So tight for me, yeah? Love feeling you around me. Fuck.”

Louis has his hands fisted in Harry’s hair and his eyes are wide and his mouth is open. When Harry bottoms out he pushes his head into the pillows before looking back at Harry, “Can feel you, Harry. Can feel all of you and it feels so good.”

“Yeah,” Harry says, tenderly stroking his cheek and keeping his hips still. “Yeah, you feel so good, so tight around me, Louis.”

Louis seems to love that, love hearing how good he feels pressed so close to Harry, so intimately. So Harry keeps murmuring things into his skin as Louis adjusts, pressing kisses to his cheeks and neck. Finally, Louis says, “I’m ready, Harry, fuck me, please. Please.”

So Harry moves. With every push into Louis, he feels more and more. He feels him squeeze, feels him contract, feels his hips move in circles. God, he’s so good at being fucked and he feels so good and fuck, Harry’s pretty sure he’s in love with him. Two months is enough for that isn’t it? Two months is enough to make a routine with someone and never want it to change. When blue meets green, Harry is sure of it because Louis’ eyes are so wide and so open and so just, fond, and it makes Harry feel like he’s going to cum much too quickly.

Louis is a moaning mess beneath him, his legs wrapped around Harry’s back. So Harry lifts Louis’ hips a bit and feels the pressure of Louis’ prostate before he hears the gasp. When he does, Louis’ eyes roll into the back of his head and Harry’s pace quickens. He fucks into Louis, the incredible heat making him feel lightheaded. His mind can’t wrap around how good Louis feels, how warm he feels pressed to him. Harry let’s out a loud groan at the thought. 

“Harry, Harry,” Louis starts panting out, “Need you to, need you, need you to touch me—Harry!”

“Yeah baby,” Harry says, so close to his own orgasm, “Yeah, cum for me, Louis. Cum for me baby. Want to see you streak your stomach white.”

It only takes a few flicks of Harry’s wrist before Louis is doing just that, and the tightening around Harry’s cock makes him lose it, cumming hard into the condom. Heavy breathing is the only thing that can be heard as they both come down from their high. Harry does first, and he lifts Louis up from the bed and carries him into the master bath, standing him up by the sink so he can wet a wash cloth and clean off all of the stick. When he’s done, he quickly cleans himself before wrapping Louis up in his arms under the covers and singing, “Sweet creature, sweet creature; wherever I go, you bring me home. Sweet creature, sweet creature; when I run out of road, you bring me home.”

-

On Louis’ last day of school, they plan an early dinner with Liam, Teagan, Niall, and that pretty hair dresser Harry had met and had been having conversations with to celebrate his first successful year. Turned out Zayn and Liam knew each other pretty well and he fit in with their little group easily. It was a fun little gathering full of Harry’s favorite thing, celebrating Louis. They all went back to Harry’s afterwards and everyone loved his home just as much as he did. They sat on the beach until the sun went down and it started to get chilly, and then they lit a fire and had some beers and some s’mores. Everyone was gone by eleven, except for Louis, and they were cuddled up on the couch with friends playing when Louis said, “Ni is leaving the weekend after the fourth to start promoting This Town.”

Harry smiled, “Yeah? Bet he’s psyched.”

“Still can’t believe he’s doing it, really,” Louis says, matching Harry’s smile. “All cause of you.”

“He would’ve been found soon enough,” Harry says, moving that hair out of Louis’ eyes. It’d started getting a bit longer and Harry loved being able to push his hair back. Used to be Louis doing it for him, now he gets to do it.

“Found a lot sooner cause of you.” He kisses Harry before snuggling into his shoulder, “Lot of things are because of you.”

“Like what?” Harry asks, kissing Louis’ hair. He pulls him a little tighter to his side, knowing he’s the only one that gets to see the soft side of Louis like this. All night, Louis was everywhere and nowhere, talking to Liam or Niall, getting to know Zayn. He had Teagan on his lap for a while. He doesn’t go soft for anyone else, just Harry.

“Like seeing green in everything and wishing there was more. Like, a song, with more meaning than there ever would’ve been before you explained it like it was the melody to your life. Like, a beach house that screams home because it’s yours.” Louis sighs, sinking deeper into Harry, “Knowing that when I wake up I’m going to have some kind of cheesy message from you or you, there, with breakfast and tea. Don’t think anything could ever go back to being without you.”

“Love making you smile,” Harry says, nuzzling into Louis’ hair again.

“Love you,” Louis says softly.

Harry grins, “Pretty sure I’ve loved you since you called me popstar that first time.”

“Is it crazy though?”

Harry thinks for a moment, about everything him and Louis had done for the last three months. They’d fallen into the easiest schedule, knowing the others like the back of their hand. Harry was going to take over Niall’s shifts at the music shop and Louis was going to serve at Payno’s this summer while he was on break from school. They fit, perfectly together. Nothing was ever weird, nothing was labeled or hard. It was all them, falling into sync, and never finding a single beat off. He finally says, “No, don’t think it’s crazy at all.”

-

July goes by quickly. Niall starts promoting and singing for the radio, and everyone falls in love with him. Harry hypes him up all over social media and with Louis’ permission, he posts a picture of Louis running down the beach right behind his house with “sweet creature” as the caption. It blows up, they blow up. Harry finally starts taking Louis out on various dates whether it be a picnic with a football, a nice dinner on the pier, a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant outside of Beaufort, a private dinner in, a swim on the main beach or at his, it was all just so perfect.

August sings the same tune of happy and Harry really thinks he already has his entire album done, but it was all fun. It was just him writing, putting thoughts together, and when he called up Jeff to tell him, he told Harry to wait until February. Harry was so grateful for Jeff being so understanding that when September came and Louis started back up at school, it was like a slap in the face that he didn’t get to spend every day with Louis anymore. So he woke up extra early every morning to bring Louis breakfast and make sure he was smiling before he went into a room full of first graders.

Harry finally met Louis’ sisters, minus Lottie who had left for school, the weekend before Halloween since it was a Monday this year. He drives them both out to Georgia, Thursday after Louis gets out of work. They get to his childhood home around midnight, going in quietly because everyone was asleep and had school in the morning. Louis had taken Friday, Monday, and Tuesday off because Halloween was a huge deal for the girls and they all wanted Louis home. His Mum was more than excited to meet Harry.

So the next morning, they wake up the same time they normally do and go downstairs. Louis gives all his sisters and little brother kisses before kissing his Mum’s cheek and announcing to all of them, “This is Harry.”

“Harry Styles,” Fizzy squeals, jumping to give Harry a hug. He chuckles and hugs her back.

“Heard so much about all of you.”

“All good, yeah?” Fizzy asks.

“All good,” he promises as they all take their seats in front of a bowl of cereal. The twins glance at him shyly and Ernest makes little grabby hands at him, so he goes over and bends down.

“Your hair bouncy,” the little boy says happily, touching Harry’s and then his own. “Like mine.”

“Yours is better,” Harry says with a smile, tapping his nose. He squeals and taps Harry’s nose back before Louis’ Mum interrupts by telling him to get eating his breakfast.

“You don’t mind watching Ernie and Doris, do you?”

“Not at all, Mum,” Louis says, motioning Harry over. “Harry, this is my only leading lady.”

“So nice to finally meet you,” Harry says happily.

She smiles back, “Please call me Jay, I don’t want to hear Mrs. anything leave your mouth. Dan will be back around noon and then I want you to show Harry around our little town, yeah?”

“Happily,” Louis says.

“Great,” she says, and it’s that easy to feel welcome here. They spend all weekend with the youngest twins, Doris professing that Harry is her husband, getting a look from Louis that Harry more than appreciates. Fiz and Harry take a thousand selfies and he meets Lottie over FaceTime because Fiz sent every selfie to her sister. He gives her a promise that when he comes out to start recording in February, he’d come and take her out to a proper dinner. She blushed at that and told him she’d love that.

On the way home from the weekend trip Louis said, “Think they like you more than me.”

“Think that’s impossible,” Harry says, watching Louis’ lips turn from a pout to a smile. The ride is quiet, thoughtful, and Harry can’t help but think this would more than likely be forever.

-

When December comes along, they’re passed the doubting, passed the silly fights about another boy maybe having the others attention too much. They’re passed the honeymoon phase even though Harry will never be able to actually look at Louis without also seeing how he looks at night, spread beneath him and breathless. He still can’t control the attraction, he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to, but his love had deepened to one of need more than passion. He needed Louis equal to how much he wanted him.

He told his Mum he’d be spending Christmas with the Deakin’s and promised he’d bring Louis out for New Years. She was happy with that and wished him a happy Christmas and made him promise to wish Louis a happy birthday. He’d be twenty-five in just a week.

Harry had gotten him a few sweaters, a new pair of vans for the pair he wore out into the snow a couple of weeks ago and ruined, and a jacket he’d been eyeing all week when they walked the pier. He also got him a new hat with “LT” crocheted into the flap with gloves to match since they were going to England where it was much colder than it is in North Carolina and Georgia. He’d split that all in between his birthday and Christmas. His favorite gift, though, was a little black fluff ball he decided to call Clifford. He ran around Harry’s house so he spent the nights at Louis’ instead since Niall wasn’t home and wouldn’t be for a while. They all went to the song release party in September in Los Angeles and Niall was absolutely living the life, Harry could see it. See what he used to love so much about the job. He realized then that without Louis, he wouldn’t enjoy it. He had a life now, in North Carolina. As much as he enjoyed the world that had embraced him so fully, he loved his little life too.

Harry surprised Louis with Clifford that Thursday night before they left for Georgia, and Louis was already in love with him, petting all over him and not letting him sit anywhere other than his lap. Clifford loved the attention just as much as Louis did, so Harry was happy. The next day, Harry finally met Lottie since she was home for the holidays, and she’d fly back with Harry and Louis when they went to Harry’s for New Years. She happily declined joining them on that trip, saying she already had plans with her friends from school. Saturday came with celebration of Louis and Christmas came with gifts for everyone, even Harry. He got a beautiful scarf like he used to wear on stage for his hair from Daisy and Phoebe who made him promise he’d wear it and think of them when he was singing. He easily promised that and relished in their excitement when all of them got tickets to his show in Savannah next summer. He got Jay a locket with pictures of her four girls and two boys. Louis loved every single thing he opened and told him, so happily, that it was the best birthday Christmas he’d had in all of his twenty-five years. Harry liked the thought of being part of that and kissed him quite thoroughly until the girls were all making noises and Ernie was pretending to wretch. He realized he loved Louis’ family like his own and it made him think more and more, how was he going to go back into making album after album come February?

“You’re sad,” Louis finally whispers to him the next night, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Are you having a good time?”

“Yeah, of course, I love your family,” Harry says without hesitation, “Just, can’t believe I only have a month left before I have to leave it all.”

Louis flinches at that, “You don’t have to leave it all, Harry. I’m not going anywhere.”

Harry nods, pushing closer to press a soft kiss to Louis’ lips. They move together for only a moment before Harry pulls away and says, “It’s just going to be so much more difficult, you know? Leaving this behind while I start traveling the world again. Don’t know what I’m going to do without you, yeah?”

“You won’t be without me, popstar,” Louis says, wiping a tear from Harry’s cheek, “Your life with me and your life with the world can be the same thing, yeah? You’re mine and I’m yours, yeah?”

Harry nods along, still not feeling any better, “Never had someone I wanted to spend every second with before you.”

Clifford effectively ruins the mood and plants himself in between them, making Louis laugh and Harry smiles at the noise. They each give him a pat before Louis turns back to Harry and says, “You’ve got a family here now, Harry, do what you love and the people you love will be here for you to come back to.” 

That makes Harry’s heart swell because it felt like forever ago he wrote, “Sweet creature, sweet creature; wherever I go, you bring me home. Sweet creature, sweet creature; when I run out of road, you bring me home” and now Louis was telling him that exact thing. He’s sure then that they’re perfect for each other.

Clifford spends time with his Grandma Jay when they fly to Harry’s house for New Years. Louis lights up at being back in the United Kingdom and Harry lights up because of Louis. They kiss when the fireworks start and Harry figures they might never stop. Anne soaks up Louis, Gemma and Louis poke endless jokes at him, and Robin just smiles fondly. They love Louis, he can tell, and that makes this holiday season even better than the last, when he spent it home for the first time since he turned eighteen.

-

They fall into a routine again, Clifford staying at Louis’ home during the week and Harry’s on the weekend until the inevitable comes and Harry has to go.

It’s not sad, Louis doesn’t let it be when they wake up before the sun. He’s got his lips wrapped around Harry and Harry’s an absolute mess because LouisLouisLouis is probably the only thing he’s ever able to think when they’re like this. He becomes everything, his eyes, his mouth, his body, it’s relaxing and hypnotizing and so overwhelming. Louis opens himself up while Harry watches, and when he is sitting with Harry’s dick pressed deep into him, he says, “Gonna make you remember me.”

Harry doesn’t get a chance to say that Louis doesn’t need to make him remember before his eyes roll into the back of his head while Louis fucks himself. He lifts his hips expertly, knowing exactly what Harry likes by now. He looks so stunning in the morning light, Harry can’t believe Louis is all his. And it feels so incredible and Harry is biting into Before he knew it, Harry was cumming hard into the condom and absolutely breathless as he flips Louis over and takes him in his mouth. Louis whines and he only has to press his tongue to the slit before Louis is cumming into his mouth.

“Love the taste of you,” Harry mumbles a few minutes later, kissing Louis’ cheek lazily.

“Let’s get you washed up and comfy, yeah?” Louis asks softly, rolling out of the bed and waiting for Harry to follow along. He does, and they take a long bath, Louis pressed into Harry’s chest. He wishes it could’ve been like that forever.

Louis drives him to the airport, sends him off with a kiss from Clifford and himself, and that’s that.

-

He records the album in a month. For the whole of April, he promotes it while also putting out Sign of the Times to give his fans a sneak peek. Being back in the spotlight feels foreign, and he misses Louis. When any interviewer asks about him he’s told he gets a too-fond face and looks like he could talk about him forever. Louis gets him more attention that he had ever had, I guess being in love in the music business really gets you the good kind of attention. His favorite interview is the one the day before the album drops.

He’s sitting across from Ellen, of course he chose her for this interview, and the crowd had just settled enough for her to say, “Harry Styles cut all his hair?”

He laughs, “Felt a little heavy on my head, yeah.”

“Felt a little heavy on your head?”

“You know, too much,” he tries to explain, “Was feeling like a new me, older.”

“Older, or in love?”

He grins at that, “I guess both.”

“Tell me about him, then,” she says, popping up a picture of him and Louis grinning at Niall’s song release party. He couldn’t believe how long ago that felt now. Niall had just released another song, Slow Hands, a little over a week ago and Harry was insanely proud, knowing he had a part in getting a voice like that out. His album was due up in October and Harry couldn’t wait for everyone to hear it.

“Well, he’s like the color in my life,” Harry says, his cheeks turning a bit red when Ellen starts laughing, “I know that sounds cheesy but his eyes were my favorite color before I saw them, and now I look for them in everything. It’s like he gave meaning to the word.”

The crowd lets out a collective ‘aw’ before Ellen is saying, “That actually sounded like poetry.”

“I miss him, yeah.”

“And how long have you two been together?”

The realization hits him pretty hard that, “It’s been over a year. Crazy how fast it’s gone.”

“And this album, does it reflect from him?”

“Um, well, I guess I’ve been in the light for so long, you know, that I kind of wanted to make an album for myself. It’s got some of the things I wrote when I first started, it’s got some new stuff, and it’s got lots of heart. Louis definitely has a part in it, yeah.”

“Louis is a lucky man.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Harry says like an impulse.

Ellen smiles at that and asks, “You’ve said to everyone that he has focused you, made you realize the important things. Is that what Sign of the Times is supposed to be about?”

“Yes and no,” Harry says, happy to have a question he can answer completely honestly. “Sign of the Times, I wrote it in five minutes, playing the tune on a piano during lunch. It all came so quickly because, like you mentioned, Louis did focus me on what’s important. When I met him, he asked me what was important and I told him family. Now, I know it’s time. You can’t let it slip by, you have to enjoy it. Louis helped me to figure that out and I had the best year of my life stepping out of the spot light and enjoying everything I forgot to enjoy with cameras all around me.”

“One more question,” Ellen says, her voice changing to one she barely ever uses on screen. Its kind, it’s full of intent, and it’s serious. “Is this the last album, Harry?”

“I don’t have an honest answer for that. It’d be so easy to say yes,” he answers honestly, feeling a sad weight push into his chest. “But this has been the entirety of my life. I don’t think I’d ever be able to leave it. I came back this time, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Ellen agrees before turning back to the camera, “Up next, Harry Styles singing his newest single Sign of the Times from His self-entitled album, Harry Styles. Stay tuned and make sure you get your copy tomorrow.”

He sings, and then his album comes out. The response to it is incredible and although he’d been thinking a lot lately about making this the end, he doesn’t think he’d ever be able to stop. He did it because of this. He made music to make people feel, and they felt. He got more attention that he ever had in his life, but it was the kind that made him smile. It was the kind of support that said, live a little, we’ll be here when you come back. And he takes that to heart. After his album is out for a month, he takes a break and goes home to North Carolina. Harry remembers Louis telling him his last day, so he makes sure he’s sitting at the dining room with a cup of tea across from him for Louis.

The door opens and Louis calls out for Clifford, hanging his keys up. Clifford barks, but stays by Harry’s side. So when Louis looks up to see why Clifford hadn’t come to him, a grin spreads across his face at the sight. “Well, look who it is,” he says, his eyes bright, “My favorite popstar.”

“Remembered you saying today was your last day. You’re two years in,” Harry says, taking a sip of his coffee and pointing to the seat across form him.

Louis shakes his head and kisses Clifford’s head before taking the mug from Harry and plopping into his lap. Harry chuckles and wraps his boy up in his arms. Louis nestles into his shoulder and says, “Miss you, so nice to come home to you.”

Harry kisses Louis’ forehead, smiling at the word home. That’s why he had come here in the first place, wasn’t it? To find a home. So he just holds Louis a bit tighter and looks down at Clifford before saying, “So nice to finally have a home to come back to.”

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me at @helianthuslou on twitter if you maybe wanna tell me what you think :) thanks for reading!!


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